Author: FairTest

PLEASE JOIN FAIRTEST IN HONORING John H. Jackson and Barbara Madeloni PRESENTATION OF THE DEBORAH W. MEIER “HERO IN EDUCATION” AWARD Thursday, October 26, 2017, 5:45 – 8:30 PM First Parish Unitarian Universalist, 3 Church St., Harvard Square, Cambridge, MA Dr. John H. Jackson is President and CEO of the Schott Foundation for Public Education. […]

This week’s many stories of K-12 assessment reform progress through state ESSA plans and school districts slashing standardized exam requirements are offset by examples of ongoing testing overkill. As another academic year begins, grassroots activists — including parents, students, educators and community leaders — plan to escalate campaigns to root out policies that encourage test […]

Disputes between states and the U.S. Department of Education over Every Student Succeeds Act testing and score reporting requirements under state are accelerating. Assessment reformers are seeking inclusion of provisions that fulfill the new law’s promised flexibility without federal micromanagement. In jurisdictions still working on compliance plans, there are still opportunities to press for fewer […]

Believe it or not, we’re on the verge of another school year. Classrooms in several southern states, including Florida, welcome students back in barely two weeks. Fortunately, children (and teachers) in many jurisdictions will face fewer standardized exams and less high-stakes testing in 2017-2018 because of the mounting successes of the grassroots assessment reform movement. […]

There’s no evidence of any “summer doldrums” for the U.S. assessment reform movement. With each week, more and more states respond to grassroots pressure by reducing testing mandates and the time devoted to standardized exams. Nationally, the impact is striking: for example, the number of jurisdictions with high school exit exams has been trimmed to […]

Continuing a slow but steady movement, several more states have eliminated testing requirements and others are considering rolling back mandates. There’s still a long way to go to end test misuse and overuse, but signs of progress should not be downplayed. Assessment reform advocates looking for more information about alternatives to standardized exams should check […]

Grassroots struggles to free students, educators and schools from the tyranny of standardized testing misuse and overuse continue to make progress as the U.S. prepares to celebrate its national Independence Day. Have a greatJuly 4th! NationalWhere States Are Headed for Accountability Under ESSAhttp://www.ewa.org/blog-educated-reporter/accountability-and-essa-where-states-are-headedNational How to Expand ESSA Accountability Beyond Test Scoreshttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/59552aa2e4b0f078efd987ebNational ESSA Expands Focus on […]

Still lots of assessment reform activity in many states as Independence Day approaches. We particularly encourage you to check out the three longer pieces in “Worth Reading” for the upcoming, four-day holiday weekend NationalWill ESSA End Test-Driven Curriculum Narrowing?http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/curriculum/2017/06/Under_ESSA_an_end_to_curriculum_narrowing.html AlabamaState Board Votes Unanimously to Drop ACT Aspire Test After Score Report Errorhttp://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2017/06/alabama_board_votes_to_end_con.html CaliforniaSmarter Balanced Interim […]

With stories from 20 states in just the past week, it’s clear that controversies around school testing policies are not abating. Grassroots pressure from parents, students, educators, and community leaders is forcing some policymakers to back off from failed test-and-punish policies. The summer academic break is a great time to build even stronger assessment reform […]

Responding to grassroots pressure from parents, educators, and community leaders more state policymakers are agreeing to reduce the time students are required to spend taking superfluous standardized exams. But there’s still a long way to go to achieve meaningful assessment reform in most jurisditions. Keep the pressure on over the summer! AlabamaFeds Reject State Plan […]